


Violet's first memory (NON CANON)

by TheLadySyk0



Series: The New Alternia [9]
Category: Homestuck, The new alternia series - Fandom
Genre: Character Moment, Emotional Abuse, Gaslighting, Gen, Injury
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-12
Updated: 2018-12-12
Packaged: 2019-09-16 17:51:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,235
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16958718
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheLadySyk0/pseuds/TheLadySyk0
Summary: Hey guys! This is a chapter I had written for "Scarlet and the Grub" a long time ago before I really knew where I wanted to go with story. It doesn't work anymore in the last chapter I had planned, but I thought I would share it with y'all because I'm still very attached to it as a piece of writing. I should have the finale out for "Scarlet and the Grub "soon!Violet's first memoryNON CANON





	Violet's first memory (NON CANON)

**Author's Note:**

> Tw for graphic injury to a child
> 
> NON CANON
> 
> (But it totally coulda been)
> 
> I'm not going to lie Violet and Scarlet's relationship isn't a good one. 
> 
> Enjoy!

One of Violet’s first memories was of her mother’s hands on either side of her face. Thin, pale human hands against the grey of her cheek, reaching up to brush a strand of hair over her hooked horn, wiping away the blue tears that were striping down her face.

She had been trying to cook.

She had told her mother she was hungry, and that she couldn’t find the manservant, a kindly old human who made her macaroni and cheese whenever she asked, smiling with crinkles around his eyes. Boris would then sit with her in the kitchen, telling her silly puns if they were both sure her mother couldn’t hear.

Violet stood in the apartment. It was emptier than it should have been. Mister Boris should have been there. He should have cleaned the apartment by now. He should be here with Violet, a smile on his face as he cooked in the kitchen.

Violet bit her lip, looking through the door of her mother’s office as she fidgeted slightly in her shoes. She wasn’t allowed in the office. She wasn’t allowed in the office and she wasn’t supposed to bother her mother with ‘silly nonsense’ when she was in the office. It seemed that everything Violet asked and everything Violet said was deemed ‘silly nonsense’ nowadays.

She had to ask though.

For Boris.

“Momma…” Violet whispered, making sure that she was fully on the other side of the door separating the office from the hall “...Where is Mister Boris?”

Scarlet didn’t even glance up from her computer, her cherry red eyes illuminated by the blue computer screen in front of her, like a shard of ice in a flame. Her mother sighed, bored, “I fired him.” she answered with a dismissive wave of her hand, as if that was just the end of it, the only thing to say about one of the only people Violet had ever known in her short life. Scarlet continued to tap on her keyboard, her eyes trailing across the words onscreen.

Violent shifted uncomfortably where she stood. The gucci white ballet flats dug against the talons on her feet uncomfortably. Her mother didn’t like it when she took her shoes off though, that her talons would ruin the marble or the hardwood floors. She was upset that Boris was gone, he had been there as long as she could remember.

He hadn’t even said goodbye.

Maybe that’s all Violet was to him, or maybe he had wanted to say goodbye.

Maybe Scarlet didn’t let him.

Violet shook her head to dispel the thought, immediately feeling guilty. Her mother wouldn’t do that.

She wouldn’t do that.

Violet mustered her gumption. She stood up straighter, smoothed down the pale blue dress she wore and adjusted her glasses. She licked her lips and took a deep breath.

“W-w-whe-” She started to speak but couldn’t quite get the words out.

Her mother sighed, rolling her eyes “W-W-W!” Scarlet mimicked back to her sarcastically, looking up from her screen only long enough to send her daughter a scathing look, her nails clicking against the top of the desk testily. She shook her head and went back to her screen. “Speak UP dear. Speak CLEARLY and with DISTINCTION. Also don’t slouch, it looks slovenly.”

Violet nodded. She squared her feet and straightened her spine. She put both hands behind her back, lacing together her clawed fingers. She took a deep breath, willing her voice to be strong and clear “Why did you fire Mister Boris?” The strength of her own voice surprised her. She could feel her blood rushing in her ears, the pointed tips flicked back nervously.

There was a wry twist to Scarlet’s smile now, nodding almost imperceptibly at her daughter. “Good.” she chuckled and finally turned her desk chair to look at Violet, she crossed her legs and there was a flash of red from the heel of one gucci stiletto “You’re learning! That’s good!”

Violet beamed with the praise. A blue flush coming to her cheeks. For one horrible second a purr sounded through her thin chest. She bit her lip and clamped down on it. She hoped mom didn’t hear it.

Scarlet rolled her eyes, the small smile that had been on her face falling. She twirled a silver pen through her fingers, shining in the pale blue light of the screen, turning away dismissively. “Ugh. That again. Keep better hold of your emotions, Violet.”

Violet looked down at her shoes, the white fake leather was slightly scuffed. They still dug against her talons. “Sorry…”

“Oh Violet.” Scarlet got up from her seat. Her heels sounded on the marble as she walked towards her daughter. She leaned down towards her daughter, pale blonde curls making a curtain around them as she leaned over Violet. She smelled like rosewater, like expensive leather and the tang of disinfectant.

“Violet, oh my Violet…” Scarlet put one perfectly manicured finger under her daughter’s chin. Pale grey eyes rimmed in yellow sclera, met cherry red rimmed in white. Scarlet cocked her head slightly, her brows rising upwards. “You know I’m only tough on you because I love you...” Scarlet crooned.

She reached a hand towards one of Violet’s braids, fixing the bright red bow on the end that had been coming loose. She touched a fingertip to her daughter’s nose and hummed. Violet laughed despite herself.

Scarlet’s red eyes turned serious and Violet’s laughter died in her throat, her mind buzzing as she tried to figure out what she had done wrong. The little girl bit her lip and looked down at her shoes again. Scarlet went back to fixing Violet’s braid. She undid the messy and falling apart braid, smoothing down the hair and deftly weaving a new and tighter braid, tugging just enough to hurt.

Violet knew she didn’t mean it though.

She didn’t mean it.

She didn’t.

Scarlet finished the braids, now orderly, shining and smooth. She tugged at the hem of violet’s skirt and brushed off some imaginary dirt. She smiled at her daughter, cupping her face gently, planting a tender kiss on her forehead. “And it’s because I love you, that I want you to be the BEST.”

Violet nodded, still not quite meeting her mother’s gaze. She pushed up her black-rimmed glasses.

Scarlet smiled, rising back to her feet and brushing herself off as well. She wound her blonde curls into a stylish and professional-looking updo. She pinned her hair in place with a sterling silver spider clip, the arachnid’s legs gripping onto the pale locks like a sacred duty, their eight ruby eyes glistening down at Violet.

“Good!” Scarlet turned away from her daughter, tapping back to her computer desk, her stilettos stark against the tile “I’m glad we understand each other!”

“Mom…” Violet watched her mother walk back to her computer desk and sit down. Violet bit her lip, her fangs were growing in slightly crooked. “You still didn’t tell me why….Why did you fire Boris?”

Scarlet sat back down at her computer desk, not even bothering to look up as she answered “He was too coddling.” Scarlet began to type once more, her red-painted lips moving silently as she read what she wrote “He would give you whatever you wanted, but you’re too old for that now.”

Scarlet rolled her eyes as she thought of the old servant. “The old man outlived his usefulness.” She looked over to her daughter, a smile on her red painted lips “And we don’t keep things that aren’t useful.” Scarlet laughed, as if that was really all there was to it. “Remember that for when you own your own company, efficiency is key.”

“Besides…” Scarlet turned to Violet briefly, her blonde eyebrows quirked “I want you to be the best Violet, and that means learning to take care of yourself”

Violet’s breath caught in her throat. There was quite a large problem her mother wasn’t considering “I uh…”

Scarlet’s nails clicked against the glass top of the desk, drumming impatiently, the sound reverberating hollowly through the room with a tick-tick-TICK “Speak with PRESENCE AND DISTINCTION!” Scarlet demanded, her words overennunciated as if to prove a point. “I can’t HEAR you when you MUMBLE. So SPEAK UP!”

Violet squeezed her eyes shut, her hands balling to fists at her side “I DON’T KNOW HOW TO COOK!” she yelled a bit louder than she meant to, her heart hammering in her chest.

Scarlet sighed, throwing up a delicate manicured hand “The yelling! The hysterics! Enough!” She put two fingers to her temple with disgust.

Violet bit down hard on her lip, her face heating up with shame.

Scarlet threw her daughter a look, her top lip pulled up with disgust. She motioned around her, at the marble floors, the expensive computer, the finely gilted art on the walls. “Do you think I got all this by being hysteric? By pitching a fit when I didn’t get my way?” She slammed her open palm against the glass desk, her diamond bracelets jangling against her wrists and the thud echoing through the room.

Scarlet pointed at Violet, the little girl stiffening. “No I didn’t!” Scarlet rebuked, her voice stern “I learned what I had to learn and I adapted! If you want something GET IT!” Scarlet sat back in her chair, looking back to her computer dismissively. “So.” She pointed at the kitchen, her voice lowering  “GET IT!”

Violet ran from the room, her slippers squeaking against the marble as she went.

Violet found herself in the kitchen. She used to sit at the bar stool at the center island as Boris cooked for her, the kindly old man stirring the pot on the stove, always handing her the spoon to lick.

Boris was gone now.

It was just her now.

Just her and her mom.

...

It was going to be ok.

It was.

It had to be.

Violet pushed the bar stool closer to the stove. She clambered onto the stool and looked over at her surroundings. She had never quite seen it like this. What had Boris always done?

Violet stepped from the bar stool and onto the counter top. If her mother saw her like this she would yell at her for having her feet on the counter, but this was the only way Violet could reach the cupboard. She opened one of the sleek mahogany cabinets, rooting around for a moment before she found a box of macaroni.

Violet studied the packaging carefully. “Ok.” She murmured to herself “I can do this. I’m tough. I can do this.” She whispered it over and over like a mantra.

Violet hugged the box of pasta to her chest and squeezed her eyes shut “Visualization is the key to success.” Violet told herself. She didn’t know really what it meant, but she had read it on the back cover of one of the books her mother wrote, the text next to a black and white photo of her mother smirking at the camera. Her mother was the best at everything so she should know.

She gathered the milk, the butter, she pulled a large pot from under the kitchen Island. She put the carton of milk the butter and the box of macaroni into the pot and clambered up the bar stool and onto the counter. She filled the pot with water and put it on the stove, turning up the heat just as the package suggested.

Violet smiled where she sat on the counter, watching the water bubble and boil. She put her hands on her hips. Just like mother said! If you want it! Get it!

She stood up on the counter, bracing herself to jump down. She still needed to get a spoon to stir in the noodles and-

The white gucci ballet flats dug into her talons, she jumped but she slipped, the smooth bottoms of the ballet flats sliding against the counter. She began to fall. She grabbed desperately for anything to keep her from hitting the hard marble floor. She grabbed onto the handle of the oven, the door swinging open and knocking her to the floor.

Violet hissed as her head was knocked hard against the marble floor. She heard something crack. Her ears were ringing and she felt nauseous. Cerulean tears welled up in her eyes, the breath knocked out of her and-

The pot of boiling water tipped back and forth ominously where it sat on the edge of the stove.

Violet’s eyes widened. “No!”

the boiling pot of water tipped over.

Violet screamed.

Scarlet stood ramrod straight in her chair as she heard a clatter from the kitchen, then her daughter scream “Violet?” Her eyes were wide and she jumped up from her desk “VIOLET ARE YOU OK?”

Scarlet ran to the kitchen, kicking off her stilettos to run faster, her nylon stockings sliding slightly on the marble. She burst through the kitchen door. The room was filled with steam. Violet was on the ground, her dress wet and her skin beginning to blister.

“Violet!” Scarlet leaned down over her daughter. She put her hand under her daughter’s head and gasped when she found sticky cerulean blood.

“I’m sorry!” Violet blubbered, blue tears striping down her cheeks “Mama! I was doing so well!” She hiccupped “I was doing so well! I’m sorry mama! I’m sorry...”

Scarlet picked up her daughter, hissing as she stepped in a still hot puddle of water. “It’s alright Violet.” She soothed “I’ll call the doctor, it’s alright…”  
  
  


 

Violet sat back in bed. The pillows around her silk and opulent. There was a box of chocolates open on her bedside table, next to it there was a faux cocktail with a bendy straw, a little blue umbrella and a strawberry perched on the rim. She laid back in bed and listened as her mother argued with the doctor in the hallway, obviously not realizing that she could hear them beyond the closed door. The bandages that wound up her left arm itched.

“Look Madame Hasselti... this was a second degree burn. I understand kids like to copy their parents and it was very sweet of her to want to cook something for you all by herself, but she seriously hurt herself here!” There was a silence then and the familiar impatient tapping of Scarlet’s shoe. She wasn't happy.

The doctor continued a little uncomfortable “ You just can't leave kids … like _her_ unattended. Their kind are quicker to pick some things up it's true, but she's barely out of their toddler stage and you really can't leave kids unattended like this and-” the sound of Scarlet’s tapping food abruptly ceased.

Violet winced. As long as Mama’s foot was tapping she was thinking and listening, when it stopped that meant she was ready to get mad.

“Oh Gerald, Gerald, Gerald.” That was the click of her mother’s stilettos on the marble floor “Are you saying I’m a bad mother?” She cooed sweetly, an undercurrent of steel to her words.

Oh this guy was going to get it. Run while you still can Mister Gerald.

“I-I-I” Gerald stuttered “She sh-shouldn’t h-have been allowed t-to hurt herself! YES!”

Violet’s pointed ears twitched as she heard the faint sound of rustling paper.

“Gerald you’ve been our primary care physician for many years.” There was the click of her mother’s heels against the marble as she took one predatory step towards him “I’ve always valued your care, your work ethic and your DISCRETION...”

There was the gentle sound of paper against cloth, dollar bills being tucked into a coat pocket.

“M-mam this is more than I-”

“Consider it a tip Gerald. You’ve always been so loyal. So discreet. So willing to perform procedures that would get your medical license taken from you under my security cameras.”

“Are you threatening m-”

“Oh Gerald. You know I don’t threaten. I don’t EXTORT people! I don’t deliver damaging tapes to the police and medical boards!” there was a deceptively sweet sounding giggle.

“Or at least I don’t…” Scarlet’s voice lowered to a flirtatious whisper “...as long as we all stay in line, Gerald…”

There was a hint of a laugh before Scarlet’s voice lowered.  “Now take your shit and leave my apartment.” her voice was lower, barely a growl as she whispered in his ear “Or else the medical board is going to find a very interesting tape in the mail…” She leaned back, her words light and mocking “We don’t want that now...do we?”

There was a nervous swallow, the shuffling of paper, of dollars being tucked farther down into a coat pocket, and with that…

Gerald did in fact, take his shit and leave.

Violet leaned back further against the pillows. Her arm itched under the bandages, cerulean tears welled up in her eyes but she wasn’t quite sure why. Some part of her was relieved that he was gone, that he wasn’t asking questions anymore.

Another part of her wondered how large the wad of money Scarlet gave to keep him quiet was, just how much Violet was worth.

Scarlet opened the door to her room. Her blonde hair was loose around her shoulders and she still had splotches of Violet’s cerulean blood on her dress. Her brows were furrowed but her eyes were oddly soft. “How are you feeling?” She whispered, her arms crossed over her chest.

Violet bit her lip, a strangled sob caught in her throat. “Mom!” She sobbed, tears rolling down her cheeks “Mom I’m so sorry! I was so close!”

Scarlet shook her head “Oh Violet…” She tapped into the room, sitting on the edge of Violet’s bed and gently pulling the little troll girl into her lap. She petted Violet’s hair gently as the little girl sobbed and cried.

“Shhhh…” Scarlet soothed, running her hand over Violet’s now messy hair. “It’s ok…I asked too much of you too soon, that’s my fault...”

“I’m sorry!” Violet bit her lip, her shoulders shaking with her sobs “I know you don’t like it w-when I cry….”

Scarlet continued to pet her daughter’s hair, her red-painted nails gently combing through Violet’s black hair. “Correction, I don’t want you crying in front of other people…” Scarlet rubbed the base of Violet’s horn in a reassuring way “It’s ok to cry when you’re alone, or with me….”

Scarlet’s brows furrowed, her eyes going distant for a moment “Remember what I told you? The world is divided into two types of people, the weak and the strong. The lions and the sheep.” She kissed Violet on the forehead and continued to rock her back and forth as Violet continued to blubber.

Scarlet leaned back further onto the bed, cradling violet in her arms “People will test you, poke and prod you for any sign if weakness, and if they see it they’ll use it against you…”

“I learned that the hard way.” Scarlet leaned down to place another gentle kiss on Violet’s temple. She smiled down at her daughter and brushed a lock of hair behind one of her pointed ears “Though right now with me, I’m your mother, it’s ok to be weak around me, I won’t tell a soul…”

Scarlet rocked them both back and forth. Scarlet pressed another kiss to her daughter’s head “I won’t tell a soul…It will be our little secret….just our little secret...”

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! Let me know what you think!
> 
> ....Please yell at me


End file.
